What's in a Name?
by Xedra
Summary: Hermione and Ron discuss baby names


The air was warm and breezy on that Sunday evening at the Burrow. Most of the family were still inside chattering and laughing after enjoying the feast lovingly prepared by Molly Weasley.

Hermione and Ron decided to take some time for themselves out in the quiet garden behind the house. They cuddled together on the padded garden swing under an arbor of climbing pink roses that hung heavy in full bloom and perfumed the air with their rich floral scent.

Ron took a handkerchief out of his pocket and neatly Transfigured it into a lightweight throw and then slung it around Hermione's shoulders. She leaned back against his chest and he wound his arms around her waist, smoothing a palm over her rounded belly.

"What about 'Apollonia?'" Ron suggested.

Hermione snorted softly and nudged him with her elbow. They still hadn't settled on a name for their unborn daughter and for the past week her husband had been suggesting more and more outlandish girl names, originating from every corner of the world – and if she wasn't mistaken, this time it was Greece.

"Sephronia?"

Hermione wrinkled her nose and hummed negatively.

"Petronella?"

Hermione giggled and shook her head, "Seriously, Ron."

"Eulalia?"

Hermione sat up a bit and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "And spend her entire life spelling it out for people?"

Ron considered that and conceded, "Good point." He kissed her temple and hugged her back against him.

Muffled shouts of joy and groans of despair from inside the house reached their ears. Charlie was visiting from Romania and challenging everyone to beat him at a Muggle game he had recently learned called arm-wrestling. Ginny's distinctive whoop of triumph followed and Hermione and Ron both shook with silent laughter at her apparent victory.

They swayed slowly back and forth, watching the fading colors of sunset, until a stray breeze blew a petal down from above their heads to land on Hermione's cheek. She plucked it from her skin and rubbed it between her fingertips for a few moments; the silky texture made her smile.

"I remember the first time we sat out here, under these roses," Hermione began.

Ron hummed against her temple. "After the Battle, yeah. Dad stayed at Hogwarts to… sort things out for Fred. Mum brought almost every else here. Well, all the kids, anyway."

"Gathered all the chicks, made enough food for three armies," Hermione smiled warmly. "When the crowd and the noise got too much, you brought me out here. Held me under these roses."

He tightened his arms around her, much as he did then. "Kissed you, too." She could hear the smile in his voice and turned her face up to once again accept the soft press of his lips on hers.

She pulled back and met his eyes. "It was the first time I'd felt safe, truly safe, for the longest time. Like I could finally breathe again."

Ron swallowed hard and pressed his forehead to hers. "I knew it that night, you know? That I couldn't be without you. I wanted to hold you like that for the rest of my life."

Hermione stroked his cheek and kissed him again. "You asked me to marry you under these roses."

Ron snorted softly, "I managed to wait a year, but I didn't even have a bloody ring for you."

Hermione pinched his chin, "Ridiculous man. You had something better: an old wizarding tradition of sealing an engagement pact in blood. You taught me a new spell - it was absolutely perfect."

Ron lips turned up in a wry grin. "Dad gave me the idea. He had done the same with Mum. They still have tiny scars on their palms."

"We pricked each other's thumbs with a thorn and made our promise."

"You wore a rose in your hair at our wedding. Bloody gorgeous, you were."

They both jumped when they felt a sudden kick from Hermione's belly.

Hermione laughed and patted the spot, "Yes, darling, we mustn't leave you out of this. We were here on Ginny's birthday, sitting under these roses eating cake when the owl came from Dr Lux and confirmed the test results."

"Nearly passed out, didn't I?"

Hermione huffed in amusement and leaned back against him, "Recovered quickly enough to spin me around and almost vomit up the cake, is what you did."

They fell silent and linked their fingers over her belly, where their little one was merrily wriggling around.

"What about 'Rose?'" Ron spoke after a while, his voice low and slightly rough in her ear.

Hermione swallowed against a thick lump in her throat and nodded, "Rose."


End file.
